The Arizona sentinel., 1887-07-02

| BCCA'
 'I was clad in quite heavy wool
 jacket, canvas pants and heavy English
 walking shoes that laced high around
 my ankle. My first effort was to free
 myself of the great weight of clothing.
 l attempted to get out of my jacket;
 after making the most superhuman
 efforts I had to give it up. I could not
 extricate my arms from the sleeve
 without drowning myself Again I
 tried to get rid of it by throwing my
 self on my back and floating, at the
 same time trying to pick the seam open
 that held the sleeve. I had to give
 this up. 1 then tried to get my shoe
 of, but could not do so. Every effort 1
 made would sink and then all my
 strength had to be used in keeping my
 head above water. To add to
 my misery most excruciating
 pain seized me in the back of my head
 at the base of my brain. This
 was terrible. I had now been in the
 water little over an hour, and was in
 full possession of every faculty. My
 whole life passed before me like
 panorama. Scenes of my childhood
 that had faded from memory were
 again as fresh as in the days of youth.
 Calmly and quietly I resigned myself
 to my fate. Not even ray of hope
 entered my mind.
 'I had just finished what supposed
 was my last prayer to the great Jeho- yah, in whose presence I soon expected
 to be, and asked of Him a special
 blessing on my wife and children, when to my great surprise. as if it were from out the great deep. I saw red light some distance from and coming toward me. As it drew quite near raised myself up in the water and cried out for assistance. My second or third hail was answered, and the ship put about. Iheard the watch on deck calling up the watch below. had now been in the water fully an hour and half. The pupils of my eyes had become so much dilated that every thing was greatly magnified. The ship looked to me as large as mountain. It seemed as if they would never get the small boat into the water. I was nearly exhaust ed and could not have lasted many minutes more. As I saw the boat con- ingI really supposed it a ship, it looked so large. The next moment it shot up to me and I found myself seized by strong and willing arms and pulled into the boat. My rescuer proved to be a noble Danish sailor, the master of a little coasting schooner. Every attention was shown me My rags were exchanged for the captains best could retain neither food nor spirits for some time on account of having swallowed so much sea water. My benefactor could not speak English nor I Danish and it was hard to make him understand how I came to be in the middle of the English Chan nel, swimming for my life. I was in a sad plight. My clothes were in tatters, the knees of my pantaloons were split open, and my engine-room suit not very genteel at the best. I found the schooner bound for Little Hampton, England, only short sail from where was picked up. I was delighted at this, knowing could reach home by rail before the ship Kingdom reached Liverpool, and thus save my wife the terrible shock of hearing me reported | lost.
 was penniless ard clad in manner that would cause me to appear as an on any tramp you ever saw. I thought once on England's shore would meet friends. I could | not blame any one for turning a deaf ear to my story. My escape was so miraculous and my general appearance so much on the order of vagrant that I was voted liar by all. It was three o'clock Sunday afternoon when I stepped on shore and bid my rescuer adieu. was nearly three hundred miles from Liverpool I called on the railway station master and begged him to send me to Liverpool. My story was taken for lie, and 1 was threat ened with arrest as an imposter. 1 bethought that the agent in charge of the fund for the benefit of shipwrecked seamen would loan me money enough to get on with. He like all others, viewed me with suspicious eye and re- fused to loan me tenpence to pay a telegram to my employers (the owners of the ship asking assistance. Finally he consented to go with me to the tele- graph office and pay for the message.
 ''As 1 wrote the message my eyes fell on small diamond ring on my little finger. I had not thought of this before. I had paid ten pounds for it ,nly short time previous. I felt like l lord at once, and apologized for hay ng been trouble to him. My great change of manner surprised the gen. .leman. His curiosity was aroused and le wished to know what had come over ne. soon explained and bid the charitable gentlemen in charge of the fund for the benefit of shipwrecked sailors adieu. quickly disposed of ny ring for loan of @ agreeing to 'eturn f4 for the use of it. Twas off Or home by six o'clock. Being short ,f cash 1 took a second-class cab. Be- ore my departure from the schooner the Danish captain filled ny pockets with cigars. In the